RadioRA2 integration help

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1

Our client is installing smart rope lighting that plugs directly into a 110v outlet and is turned on/off/color changed with the Hubitat device. They are requesting that we program one of the RadioRA2 hybrid keypad buttons to trigger the Hubitat function of turning the rope light on or off. Can you provide clarity if this is possible and how that button is programmed since it wouldn’t be controlling an actual RadioRA2 device?

Thanks in advance.
Josh

2

This should be able to be done under rule machine.

You will pick a button device under rule machine and it should give you options for each button press to define a rule machine rule within those.

3

It's pretty easy to do.

  1. Get a Hubitat
  2. Install drivers in Hubitat for a) the rope lights, b) the Lutron main repeater, c) the Lutron keypad. The Lutron drivers are all built into the Hubitat platform. You may need to search for a rope light driver.
  3. Use a Hubitat button controller app (usually via Rule Machine) to monitor the Lutron keypad and take actions based on button presses. Hubitat will only see keypad button presses so you will need to individually program on/off logic.

Hubitat is a real easy way to add non-Lutron devices and much more complex conditional actions to a RadioRA 2 system.

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4

Thanks. So the button would remain unprogrammed in the Lutron software? Also, are you saying that they will need one button for on and a separate button for off?

thanks,
Josh

5

My experience is that the Lutron controller broadcasts the keypad activity. Hubitat, upon seeing that activity, executes rules to control the desired devices based on the button presses.

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6

This would be a good question for @bravenel

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7

@billbremer Does that include keypad button that are not programmed within the Lutron system? Essentially blank button?

8

My experience is with Pico Remotes and Caseta using the Lutron Pro Hub.
With that system, I can add a Pico remote to Lutron without having to create device assignments for the Pico. The Lutron Hub reports the Pico key press activity (via Telnet). Hubitat monitors the Telnet port to determine what keys have been pressed.

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9

@billbremer thanks for clarifying that it is a Pico. They'd like to use a button from a 6 button keypad that is hard mounted, hoping someone can confirm that will work as well... I will advise that a Pico may be the alternative.

10

An alternative approach (as I recall) involves having the Pico remote activate dummy scenes in Lutron. Each scene number appears to Hubitat as a button (numbered 1-100) on a 100-key keypad on the Lutron Hub itself. Hubitat can both monitor and activate those 100 buttons.

11

Yes - you set up the button as usual with the RRA2 software, but don't have it actually doing anything. The Hubitat Lutron Integration will see the button presses, and you can use that as a trigger for Rule Machine to do whatever you want.

...or, if all you want from the button press is a simple on/off, the built-in Simple Lighting app will work just fine. Tell it what light(s) to control, and which button to react to.

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12

With Rule Manager, you should be able to perform a toggle function so only one button is needed for both on and off.
If you can Telnet into the Lutron controller and see the buttons you want to use being pressed, you should be good to go.

13

I'm using the non Lutron programmed RR2 keypad buttons in my system and having Hubitat control what happens when they are pressed (for mine it is turning sonos on and off).

In the Lutron software, I have the extra button programmed as 'Single/Mutli-Room Scene', but Lutron is not programmed to do anything when that button is pressed.

Next, in Hubitat Rule Machine, setup a trigger to watch for when that button is pressed. The action can be set to turn the led rope lighting on/off. With the latest Hubitat version, you can also set the LED next to the keypad button on/off (this is under custom actions).

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14

You can go either way. Many of my buttons are a combination of Lutron programming and Hubitat programming. Particularly useful for adding color bulbs to a Lutron scene.

There is only one slight issue with combination programming. The Lutron system has no knowledge of Hubitit devices and still controls all the LEDs on the keypad. So depending on the programming of the scene in Lutron the LEDs might not match one's expectations. But that's really a nit.

In the most recent Hubitat release the button LEDs can be changed. That is really only useful in using a button with no Lutron programming, as again, the Lutron system will override the LED with what it believes is the correct state.

No, the Hubitat button programming will just need to be as a toggle.

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15

Thank you all! Exactly what I needed to know. Hopefully we will be able to recommend Hubitat to all our future clients as well! We love installing Lutron lighting and shades but always wished IFIT was stronger. This may be the missing link!